Patents by Inventor David Fudge

David Fudge has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8535485
    Abstract: A system for forming an oil sand slurry from mined oil sand is provided, comprising a slurry preparation tower having an intake opening through which oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower, a first sizer device to comminute the oil sand passing through it, a second sizer device to further comminute the oil sand, and a pump box for receiving oil sand that has passed through the second sizer and feeding it to a pump; at least one conveyor, having a discharge end, for transporting mined oil sand to the slurry preparation tower; a metal detector for detecting a piece of metal in the mined oil sand and transmitting a signal; and a metal rejection device operative to, in response to the signal from the metal detector, reject a portion of oil sand containing the piece of metal before the portion of oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
    Inventors: Ron Cleminson, David Fudge, Michael Carniato
  • Patent number: 8388831
    Abstract: Staged crushing combined with water addition and mixing is practiced at the mine site to prepare an oil sand slurry ready for hydrotransport. More particularly, as-mined oil sand is crushed to conveyable size (e.g. ?24?) using a mobile crusher. The pre-crushed ore product is conveyed to a dry ore surge bin. Ore is withdrawn from the bin and elevated to the upper end of a slurry preparation tower having downwardly aligned process components to enable gravity feed. The ore is further crushed in stages to pumpable size (e.g. ?4?) by a stack of crushers and water is added during comminution. The ore and water are mixed in a mixing box and delivered to a pump box. The surge bin and tower are relocatable. Screening and oversize reject treatment have been eliminated to achieve compactness and enable relocatability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: Canadian Oil Sands Limited Partnership, Canadian Oil Sands Limited, Conocophillips Oilsands Partnership II, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Nexen Inc., Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Petro-Canada Oil and Gas
    Inventors: Ron Cleminson, David Fudge, Michael Carniato
  • Publication number: 20100108572
    Abstract: A system for forming an oil sand slurry from mined oil sand is provided, comprising a slurry preparation tower having an intake opening through which oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower, a first sizer device to comminute the oil sand passing through it, a second sizer device to further comminute the oil sand, and a pump box for receiving oil sand that has passed through the second sizer and feeding it to a pump; at least one conveyor, having a discharge end, for transporting mined oil sand to the slurry preparation tower; a metal detector for detecting a piece of metal in the mined oil sand and transmitting a signal; and a metal rejection device operative to, in response to the signal from the metal detector, reject a portion of oil sand containing the piece of metal before the portion of oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project
    Inventors: RON CLEMINSON, DAVID FUDGE, MICHAEL CARNIATO
  • Publication number: 20090008297
    Abstract: Staged crushing combined with water addition and mixing is practiced at the mine site to prepare an oil sand slurry ready for hydrotransport. More particularly, as-mined oil sand is crushed to conveyable size (e.g. ?24?) using a mobile crusher. The pre-crushed ore product is conveyed to a dry ore surge bin. Ore is withdrawn from the bin and elevated to the upper end of a slurry preparation tower having downwardly aligned process components to enable gravity feed. The ore is further crushed in stages to pumpable size (e.g. ?4?) by a stack of crushers and water is added during comminution. The ore and water are mixed in a mixing box and delivered to a pump box. The surge bin and tower are relocatable. Screening and oversize reject treatment have been eliminated to achieve compactness and enable relocatability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Ron CLEMINSON, David Fudge, Michael Carniato
  • Patent number: 7431830
    Abstract: Staged crushing combined with water addition and mixing is practiced at the mine site to prepare an oil sand slurry ready for hydrotransport. More particularly, as-mined oil sand is crushed to conveyable size (e.g. —24?) using a mobile crusher. The pre-crushed ore product is conveyed to a dry ore surge bin. Ore is withdrawn from the bin and elevated to the upper end of a slurry preparation tower having downwardly aligned process components to enable gravity feed. The ore is further crushed in stages to pumpable size (e.g. —4?) by a stack of crushers and water is added during comminution. The ore and water are mixed in a mixing box and delivered to a pump box. The surge bin and tower are relocatable. Screening and oversize reject treatment have been eliminated to achieve compactness and enable relocatability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignees: Canadian Oil Sands Limited Partnership, Canadian Oil Sands Limited, ConocoPhillips Oilsands Partnership II, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Nexen Inc., Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Petro-Canada Oil and Gas
    Inventors: Ron Cleminson, David Fudge, Michael Carniato
  • Publication number: 20060043005
    Abstract: Staged crushing combined with water addition and mixing is practiced at the mine site to prepare an oil sand slurry ready for hydrotransport. More particularly, as-mined oil sand is crushed to conveyable size (e.g. ?24?) using a mobile crusher. The pre-crushed ore product is conveyed to a dry ore surge bin. Ore is withdrawn from the bin and elevated to the upper end of a slurry preparation tower having downwardly aligned process components to enable gravity feed. The ore is further crushed in stages to pumpable size (e.g. ?4?) by a stack of crushers and water is added during comminution. The ore and water are mixed in a mixing box and delivered to a pump box. The surge bin and tower are relocatable. Screening and oversize reject treatment have been eliminated to achieve compactness and enable relocatability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Ron Cleminson, David Fudge, Michael Carniato